Sophie’s Bakes: Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt Vegan Cookies

2nd February 2018

By Sophie Jackson

The very first memory I have of baking is sitting on the countertop helping my mum (as much as a 3-year-old can help) to make chocolate chip cookies. They are simple but a classic. Not to mention they can be whipped up at a moment’s notice and can be thoroughly enjoyed still warm from the oven! I can’t imagine how many times I’ve made them in my life so far, it’s bound to be in the hundreds!

These Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt Vegan Cookies are a variation on the classic – mainly made up of ground almonds which have an incredible texture and the aroma is just heavenly. Dark chocolate feels a little more sophisticated to me than milk chocolate and pairs perfectly with a sprinkle of sea salt. It’s a bonus that this recipe is vegan (and gluten-free!) which caters for any visitors you might have popping by.

Ingredients:

200g ground almonds

40g plain gluten-free flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

100ml maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp coconut oil/vegan margarine, softened

100g good quality 70% dark chocolate

A few pinches of sea salt

Method:

– Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 3. Grease and line a baking tray.

– Using a food processor/stand-up mixer or a large bowl, add all of the ingredients apart from the chocolate and sea salt and mix until thoroughly combined.

– Chop the dark chocolate into chunks and stir into the cookie dough.

– Taking a dessertspoonful of the mixture into your hand, roll it into a ball and place onto the baking tray, pressing down lightly to squish it out slightly. Repeat this with the rest of the mixture – it will roughly make 12 cookies.

– Place the baking tray into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, keeping an eye on them to achieve a perfect golden colour!

– As soon as they’re out of the oven, sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of sea salt and allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes.

– When the cookies have cooled for 10 minutes, remove from the tray and enjoy! Or allow them to cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to a week.